Page 109 of Riot

“Right. Of course, he mentioned you. I just forgot.” It’s a lie. Link never talked about his family, at least not that I can recall. Considering the madness dancing in this man’s eyes, I can understand.

Link was a monster, birthed in a family of monsters.

Seren whimpers, and my strength fractures a little more. Not yet. I can’t break yet.

I press a hand to my stomach, needing to wake up from this nightmare, searching for a way to get my daughter to safety and away from his weapon. “Please be careful with her.” The ragged rawness in my words is sharper than any blade.

But he ignores my plea, his eyes wide and wild, unhinged. “They tried to keep him from me, did you know that? They sent me away, said I was dangerous, but not to him. Never to him.”

I shift closer, just a minuscule movement but ready to grab Seren as soon as I can.

“Why did they send you away?”

He laughs under his breath. “Because they feared me, Ivy. They saw it in both of us, but it existed in Link. It flourished in me.”

I don’t know what he’s talking about, so I keep quiet. Waiting. Holding my breath.

“Where is he, Ivy?”

Dead…

He’s dead.

“I don’t know,” I whisper.

The eerie calm of his voice is more terrifying than his rage. “You see, I just don’t believe you. I found traces of you all over his life, and you want me to think you just… don’t know what happened to him? So, I’ll ask you again—where’s my brother?”

“I don’t?—”

He explodes like a bomb detonating. His nostrils flare and his eyes blaze as he takes a menacing step towards me. “Where is he?” The boom of his voice rips a flinch from me before I can stop myself, and Seren cries out, startled by the noise.

Her distress is enough to unhinge me.

“Give me myfuckingdaughter!” I’m done with this game. I want my child backnow.

“Only when you give me my brother.”

The door behind him inches open, just a hint of movement, but it’s enough to make my legs go weak.

Help is here.

TWENTY-TWO

RIOT

Something is wrong.

I’m not sure what, but all my senses are flashing warnings. The apartment feels quiet and yet charged with tense energy.

I’ve learnt to trust those instincts.

And I lean into them now.

I turn off the burner and open the drawer next to the stove. Reaching under, I feel metal beneath my fingertips and pull the gun free.

I prefer to fight with my fists, but with all the shit going down in the club, Nicky made sure these safe houses were stocked.

I’m fucking grateful for that now.

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